Dolls, Toys & Games

In the words of toy historians Athelstan and Kathleen Spilhaus, "A toy's appeal lies in the form and shape, the beauty of line, the color and detail, the charm of miniaturization, and the humor of caricature. Some toys amuse use with their jerky antics; others add beauty to our lives with their grace and rhythm. Many do things we can't do in real life, thereby keeping us in touch with fantasy." Dolls, toys and games have been popular among children from time unknown. Toys and games had always fascinated children. Ancient children played with marbles, dice and stuffed dolls. Historically toys and games were hand made at home using tin, wood and cloth. Dolls, toys and games reflect the inventor’s imagination of the culture and time of creation. Some board games, chess and dolls have been popular for generations. Handcrafted toys and games are made of mud & clay, wood, coir, cane & bamboo, wire & metal and stuffed soft toys made of cloth, cotton and wool. They create an excellent employment opportunity for the rural artians globally.

Andhra Pradesh is well known for the metal dolls that are chiefly made in bronze and copper. The solid cast moulds are made by giving several clay coatings, but with different clay each time, on the...

In the earlier days clay toys were the main attraction but with the awareness amonst the artists they have also started making toys out of papier machie. Kosapalayam, a village near Pondicherry is a...

These sparkling dolls are made in Saharanpur and are filled with coloured liquid called panchkora. This art was initiated by the Mughals in India and had a good market in Europe. Firozabad is also a...

Toys in Assam are made in the most ethnic and the traditional way. Craftsmen of hills design cane and bamboo toys using their skilled hands and few local tools. Figures of Gods and Goddesses, animals...

The Women folk of Chhatisgarh craft doll toys which are generally hollow and does not inolve use of any tools. Whistle toys resembling the period of Harappa and Mohenjodaro , are very popular amonst...

Dolls are always welcomed in any forms. The cloth and wire dolls of Karnataka are extremely traditional and a perfect piece of art by the local artists. These dolls covey the traditions of Karnataka...